TierraCast - What is Lead Free Pewter? << Return to list What is Lead Free Pewter? In the early 1990's the term "lead free" pewter was commonly used in the trade, and specifically applied by metal suppliers, to alloys of 900,000 ppm tin, with no more than .05% (500 ppm) lead. The voluntarily adoption of this "standard" appears to have been to identify alloys that would meet the Food and Drug Administration' s regulation that limited lead in pewter in contact with food. That regulation, FDA 2009 Food Code 4-101.13 (B) , states: "Pewter alloys containing lead in excess of 0.05% may not be used as a Food-Contact Surface." Even with the actions first taken by the State of California and then recently by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, this loose definition of "lead free" still has not received clarification. In 1995 a pewter item testing at 450 ppm would have been considered by the trade as "lead free".

In 2011 that same item would not necessarily be considered "lead free" due to the steadily lowering limits for lead in "children's jewelry" under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). While this act is specifically directed to a narrow definition for children's jewelry, the effect has been to create an increased awareness of lead in metal alloys whether or not the product is intended for children. Without a clear definition of "lead free", the trade has been left to monitor themselves. Most suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers abide by the understanding that even though a particular product is not subject to the CPSIA lead limit (currently set at 300 ppm, and scheduled to drop to 100 ppm in August 2011) they will not promote a product as "lead free" unless it contains less than the old FDA limit of 500 ppm. Regarding products that are promoted as "100% lead free": While it is, in theory, possible to cast a pewter product that would test at 0 ppm for lead, the practical reality is that production quantities of high quality "lead free" pewter contain somewhere between 30 � 100 ppm lead in the alloy.

This lead is not intentionally added to debase the metal or reduce its cost, but naturally occurs in the ores that are refined to produce one or more of the elemental metals used to make the pewter alloy itself. Metal refiners continually strive to keep this "trace" out of the mixture, but the realities of the refining and alloy process can not readily eliminate all traces. Hence, claims of 100 % lead free pewter should be taken with skepticism. In summary, though the trade continues to wrestle with definitive guidelines for "lead free pewter," the standard is generally accepted to be less than 500ppm of lead by weight. The Pewter Society - What is pewter? The Pewter Society What is pewter? What is pewter? Pewter is an attractive metal which has been used for the production of household and other items in Britain since Roman times. It is an alloy consisting mostly of tin which has been mixed with small amounts of other metals such as copper, lead or antimony to harden it and make it more durable.

Once the Romans had left in the 5th century little pewter was made here until the craft was reintroduced in the 12th century, probably by Cistercian monks. They used the metal to make chalices, patens and spoons for ceremonial use but the versatility of pewter was soon recognised by the wider community. During the 17th and 18th centuries pewter would have been found in every household. Jugs, plates, buttons, pilgrim badges, tankards, wine cups, inkwells, candlesticks and spoons are just some of the many items for which it was used. Pewter wears are still being made today. Help from the Pewter Society The Society is willing to help members of the public identify individual items of pewter if we can. This service is free, but it is not available to dealers nor to individuals if the sole purpose of the identification is to facilitate the sale of the item. Frequently Asked Questions Do you have a question? Please take a look at our FAQ page before contacting the society. We are continuing to add questions and replies to help with enqiries. Herbert Evans Pewter : How To... Pewter : How To...

The Basics Of Working With Pewter Pewter is a soft, pliable and extremely versatile metal. Use it to make beautiful gifts and décor items for your home. What Is Pewter? Pewter is a soft metal with a faint sheen. It is an alloy of lead and tin, but lead-free pewter is also available so that the item made can be used for eating. How Do You Do Pewter Work? Pewter has been around for many centuries. It was recently made fashionable again by designers like Carrol Boyes, who makes sought-after cutlery and other décor items from pewter. There are two ways to work with pewter: the relief modelling method and the cast pewter method. Relief modelling traces the design onto the pewter and it is then modelled from the back using special tools. This creates a raised or relief design on the front, from which this method takes its name. The cast pewter method is completely different. It requires special skills and tools, and involves melting down the pewter and pouring it into moulds. We will focus only on the relief modelling method. What Does Pewter Look Like? Pewter is sold by the metre in thin sheets of varying widths.

Some sheets are shinier than others, which means they have a higher tin content. Most manufacturers place a thin layer of tin over the sheet to make it shinier. If you polish the pewter, this layer of tin can be rubbed away to expose the layer underneath. Pewter sheets are easy to work with, relatively inexpensive and you can use them to make anything from photo frames to candleholders. What Tools Do You Need? Apart from modelling tools, you don't need any special materials and tools to do pewter work. This is a general list: Pewter sheets Item to be decorated: Anything with a hard surface, such as a box, frame or bottle. Work surface: It must be smooth and hard, something like a smooth wooden board or large, thick piece of glass. Modelling tools: Find them at art or craft shops. A tracer is used to trace the design onto the pewter; a paper pencil (also known as a torchon) is used to flatten and neaten the areas around the modelled design; a hockey stick is used to model the pewter for high-relief work; and a ball tool has a ball at the tip and is used for doing low-relief work to make a wider line than a tracer.

Filler: This is used to fill the back of a high-relief design to prevent it from being pushed back or flattened. Beeswax works best because it hardens quickly and doesn’t contract when it cools. Exterior crack filler mixed with a little cold glue can also be used. Do not use candle wax as it shrinks when it cools, and cracks easily. Lubricant: Use petroleum jelly, baby oil, sunflower oil or liquid paraffin to help the modelling tools glide over the pewter. Patina: A liquid chemical to corrode the metal and give it an aged appearance. Degreaser: The front of the pewter has to be degreased using a degreaser such as baby powder, so that the patina takes. Metal polish: Use a household metal polish such as Brasso to polish the pewter. Glue: Use an adhesive that is suitable for metal and the surface you are gluing it to. Turpentine: For removing excess beeswax and glue. Soft cloth: Work on felt, a duster or a chamois when you 'push out' the pewter. Glass droppers: To fill the back of the relief design with beeswax.

If it clogs up, place the dropper in boiling water, but do not let the rubber come into contact with the water otherwise it will perish. Rubber roller: To flatten the pewter sheets. Cotton wool: To apply the patina, to polish and for cleaning. Tracing paper: To transfer the design onto the pewter. Scissors: A small pair of curved nail scissors works best for cutting out designs. Craft knife and cutting mat Pencil and ruler Lead-Free Pewter Casting Ingot Lead-Free Pewter Casting Ingot Cast temperature: 575°–650°F (260°–316°C) Country of origin: United States Great for model work and filigree, this pewter is the whitest of all tin alloys and is made with no added lead. Composition is 92% Sn, 7-1/2% Sb, 1/2% Cu. Each ingot weighs approximately 5.3 lb.

Catalog page: 2016-2017 Tools and Equipment Catalog p.600 please note: • White metal ingots may be solid or grooved when you receive them depending on the shape of the ingot mold in which they were poured. • All pewter sold by Rio Grande meets industry-accepted standards of composition (no less than 90% tin) and is manufactured with no added lead, containing only such trace levels (less than 0.05%) as may be intrinsic to the elements that make up the alloy. Charts Please Name Your New List: You may add a description of the list: Promotion does not apply when shipping outside the United States PayPal is only available when no items are on backorder, Please select a different Address Address Line 1 This is a P.O. Box Residential Cannot receive US Postal Service shipment at this address Cannot receive UPS shipment at this address City Cannot receive US Postal Service shipment at this address Cannot receive UPS shipment at this address Postal Code Rio Grande. Recommended by jewelers since 1944. About Rio Grande © 2017 RioGrande.com. A Berkshire Hathaway Company. All rights reserved.

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Manage and update your account information, including contact and payment information, at your convenience. Pewter History Pewter History By Beth Maxwell Boyle, BFA Pewter is a wonderful metal with a long history. The origin of the word Pewter is not fully known, but it is probably an English modification of the word spelter. It was adopted with only slight variation by most of the continental European nations. At an early period Europeans became very fond of pewter wares. The word pewter became peauter in Dutch, peutre, peautre or piautre in French, peltro in Italian and peltre in Spanish. Roman pewter, the oldest known, which has been uncovered at various sites in England and elsewhere, was composed of tin and lead alone. Occasional traces of iron are believed to be accidental. Some people think of Pewter as a cheap substitute for Sterling silver but this it is not. Pewter is a splendid metal with its own merits and qualities that make it a fine precious metal for both decorative and practical applications. Pewter historically was an alloy of *tin and lead (up to 50% Pb).

It became popular in kitchen ware such as plates, mugs, and utensils. By the mid-1700s the health hazards and tarnishing drawbacks of leaded pewter helped popularize Britannia metal a non-leaded form of pewter. Britannia metal consists of* tin, *antimony, and *copper. Pewter is a general name used to denote a number of alloys of various metals in diverse proportions, the sole common feature of which lies in the fact that tin is always the chief constituent. Tin (Sn) is a relatively soft and ductile metal with a silvery white color. It has a density of 7.29 grams per cubic centimeter, a low melting point of 231.88° C (449.38° F), and a high boiling point of 2,625° C (4,757° F). Most people think of tin cans when they hear the word tin and that makes them think "Cheap". Tin cans were in fact made from iron that was dipped in tin to prevent rusting. Today's "Tin foil" is actually made of aluminum!

Pewter used for food vessels must be lead free and contain 92% tin, 6.7% antimony, and 1.2 % copper as required by both U.S. Government regulations and the APG (American Pewter Guild). Tin is in fact a precious and expensive metal. Tin has been mined and used to make objects both decorative and utilitarian for over 3000 years. It's the 4th most precious metal in common usage after platinum, gold and silver. Modern pewter contains about 92% tin and added to this are small amounts of antimony, copper or bismuth to give additional strength. Pewter was probably first made in the Bronze Age (between 2000 and 500 BC). Pewter and bronze are related alloys; pewter is mostly tin, with a small amount of copper (and other ingredients), while bronze is an alloy made up primarily of copper, with a small amount of tin. It has been speculated by historians that pewter was invented when the quantities of metal in the alloy were reversed, whether this was by accident or by design is impossible to tell! By the middle ages the use of pewter in Europe was widespread.

Around the 12th. century, pewter was only within the reach of the wealthy, where it was to be found on the tables of castle halls and in the houses of rich merchants and churchmen. Later its use spread into taverns and cottages. It was mainly used for functional items like plates and cutlery, but pewterers also made small decorations and toys, referred to as "trifle". Somewhere around the 15th century, craftsmen in England began forging tin, that was mined locally in Cornwall, England, into tankards, plates and candlesticks. Pewter later became a common replacement for household items made of clay, leather and wood. The growth of the pewter industry in Europe at this time led to the establishment of guilds, which regulated the quality of work produced by pewterers. "The Worshipful Company of Pewterers" was established in England in 1348 for this purpose. Towards the end of the 18th century however, the mass production of good quality pottery had a dramatic effect on the market for utilitarian pewterware, forcing many pewterers out of business.

Despite this by the 1930's, England became world renown for fine pewter craftsmanship, which was the result of their high production and design standards, established guidelines and rigorous testing procedures. High quality pewter items are made today in the USA that rival those made in the UK. Today pewter items are enjoying an enormous revival, both consumer and craftsman have rediscovered the glowing beauty and practical function of fine pewter. Around the globe pewter is enjoying a Renaissance that grows each year. Here at The Rams Horn Studio we take great pleasure in presenting the very finest pewter castings for sale. All our pewter is hand poured by master jeweler, James Boyle. Our designs are unique and beautiful and perfect for gifts and trophies. Our line continues to grow and our pewter is now available in Australia, the UK, and the USA. For more information on both wholesale and retail pewter from The Rams Horn Studio, follow the links on this page to our products available on Line. ALL OUR PEWTER IS LEAD FREE! James E. Boyle, BFA &Beth Maxwell Boyle, BFA Thank you for your interest in our fine products. We look forward to doing business with you.

All of our artwork is made right here in Western, NY. Our original models are created by carving the model in wax and then casting the design in silver. A high heat rubber mold for spin casting is made from that silver model. To learn more about lost wax casting follow the links to the Lost Wax Casting Page . Our pewter jewelry is poured by hand by James Edward Boyle in fine, lead free, jeweler's pewter that is burnished and antiqued by hand in our studio. Our jewelry is signed and can be considered an investment in Fine Art. We Can produce custom designs for your business or organization using your design or we can design for you. Please write for a price quote. Let James or Beth design that very special award or project for you. All our fine pewter is produced by spin casting. If you are not familiar with this process, models are carved by hand of wax or wood. These small patterns or originals are layed out on a disc of uncured silicone to create casting cavities. When cured, this rubber mold is spun in a centrifuge while pewter is poured into the center of the mold.

Silicone rubber molds can be cycled as many as 50-60 times per hour, for hundreds of cycles. Therefore, a 20 cavity mold can produce 1000 components per hour if small-to-medium production runs are needed. Resulting parts have excellent detail and representative surface finish of the master pattern. Spin-Casting uses adjustable centrifugal force to inject molted metal into a vulcanized silicone rubber cylindrical mold under pressure, completely filling the mold cavities. Venting systems eliminate air pockets and voids to produce beautiful, high quality castings with virtually identical strength, surface finish and dimensional characteristics as those produced by any other processes, at greatly reduced cost and lead times. The amazing thing about spin casting is that, since pewter melts around 600 degrees or even lower, it doesn't require the labor intensive, mold investment that lost wax casting requires. Using centrifugal force, we simply pour molten metal directly into high temperature rubber molds spinning at high speed and 15 minutes later, we release a cast tree ready for cut-off & finishing. Each piece is then inspected and hand finished by Beth and Jim.

Pewter ware was originally fashioned in two ways, by hammering or by casting, and the workers in each were strictly differentiated, the former, who worked in fine pewter, being known as Sadware men, the latter who used ï¿½leyï¿½ as Hollow-ware men. A third class, known as Triflers, from the alloy they were limited to, probably at first only manufactured such small articles of domestic use or ornament as did not definitely fall under either of the other headings, but from an authorized list of wares, drawn up by a committee of Trillers in 1612, it is clear that the barrier between them and the Hollowware men had been largely broken down. Another method of working pewter which seems to have been introduced later, and never followed to any great extent, was spinning, by which the vessel was shaped in a mold on a wheel by the mere pressure of a blunt tool, the softness of the metal allowing it to flow sufficiently for this purpose. Today pewter spinning is employed by many major craftsman and manufacturers.

Pewter first appears in western recorded history in 1074, when a synod at Rouer permitted its use as a substitute for gold or silver in church vessels a concession accepted also at Winchester two years later, again withdrawn in 1175, but once more adopted some twenty years after. The records of its domestic use commence with caldrons employed for boiling the meat at the coronation of Edward I. in 1274, though we gather that the trade was even then flourishing in Paris and Bruges, during the following century it extended to Augsburg, Nuremberg, Poitiers, Moos and other continental centres. Confined at first to the more wealthy classes, we can trace the use of pewter as time goes on its extension lower and lower in the social scale, until at the end of the 17th century its use was almost universal. From then on its vogue steadily declined when the growing cheapness of glass and chinaware and the invention of more showy metals brought upon it by degrees the fatal stigma of vulgarity.

CELTIC PEWTER LINE Throughout it's long history pewter has had an almost infinite variety of compositions, even today there are still numerous varieties produced. The only common factor is a relatively high tin content which is hardened by additions of other elements. In most countries newly manufactured pewter is a lead free alloy usually being hardened with additions of antimony and copper, containing over 90% tin. Other elements such as silver and bismuth are sometimes used in. In the past pewter often contained lead but as awareness has grown into the harmful effects of lead it has been eliminated. Modern pewter can be polished to a bright silver like finish or if preferred chemical darkeners can be used to simulate the patinas associated with old pewter. At the Rams Horn most of our pewter is burnished after being antiqued to bring out the detail. Our customers mostly prefer this finish to a high shine or to a brushed finish. The pins and other findings are all soldered by hand on our products by James E. Boyle. Our Pewter jewelry is of the highest quality and is meant to last for many years. Tin *Tin is the fourth most precious metal in the world and was used by man as early as The Bronze Age.

Tin very rarely occurs uncombined in nature. The dioxide, which occurs as cassiterite, or tinstone, is the only ore of commercial importance and is found, in such places as China, Brazil, Bolivia, Indonesia, and Peru. Tin has a relatively low melting point of 450 degrees and alloys well with other metals. It will increase the hardness of an alloy and raise its working temperature. Other characteristics of tin are its softness, its malleability and its high fluidity when molten. Antimony *Antimony has been known since the days of ancient Egypt and Rome. It rarely occurs free in nature but its ores are widely found, principally in such places as China, South Africa, Bolivia, Peru and the United States. Antimony is a metalloid element found in mined deposits. It is useful in alloys because it improves its capacity to reproduce detail and it hardens soft metals such as tin. Copper *Copper was one of the first known metals to humans and was probably mined in the free state as long ago as the 5th century B.C. Much of the world's copper now comes from the mountain ranges extending from Alaska to the tip of South America.

Copper increases the hardness of an alloy and raises its working temperature. Lead, Tin, and Lead Alloys - Conservation Manual - Conservation Research Laboratory - Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation - Texas A&M University Lead, Tin, and Lead Alloys Storage TIN, LEAD, AND LEAD ALLOY CORROSION Articles of tin are seldom encountered in archaeological sites. This metal is found more often in various alloys, particularly in combination with copper for bronze and/or tin pewter. Gettens (1964:560) notes that tin seldom survives in archaeological sites because of the transformation of tin to a mix of stannous and stannic oxide by direct intercrystalline oxidation (SnO and SnO2) or to a loose powdery gray tin, commonly referred to as 'tin pest,' by allotropic modification The alteration compounds of tin in a marine environment have not been adequately studied; it is known, however, that sodium chloride stimulates the corrosion of tin. Ingots of tin that were completely oxidized to tin oxide were recovered from a Bronze Age shipwreck off the coast of Turkey (Bass 1961).

Although not often mentioned in literature, tin sulfide can also be expected to be found where sulfate-reducing bacteria are active in anaerobic environments. Lead is commonly found in shipwrecks; it was used on ships for weights, cannonballs, sheeting, and stripping. Lead is a stable metal in neutral or alkaline solutions that are free from oxidizing agents, especially if carbonates are present in the water (Pourbaix 1966:488-489). Basic lead carbonate (2PbCO3 · Pb[OH]2) and lead oxides (PbO and PbO2) are formed under most archaeological conditions where there is prolonged atmospheric exposure. The gray lead carbonate and lead oxide generally form a protective layer on the artifact that prevents further oxidation. Both these corrosion compounds are found on lead from a marine environment, but lead chloride (PbCl2), and especially lead sulfide (PbS) and lead sulfate (PbSO4), are also common.

Gettens (1964:558) noted that few occurrences of lead sulfide have been reported on archaeological objects, but more recent research (North and MacLeod 1987:89) shows that the primary lead corrosion product in anaerobic marine environments is lead sulfide, while lead sulfate is commonly found on objects recovered from aerobic marine environments. It is not unusual in shipwreck excavations to find the remains of lead straps that have been completely converted to a black slush. The bulk of this corrosion is most likely lead sulfide which results from the action of sulphate-reducing bacteria. Some intermediate forms of lead oxides (PbO and PbO2) may be formed, and oxysulfides are also present. Lead often exhibits extensive corrosion attack when it is in contact with wood. Lead strips that were nailed onto a ship's keel have been observed in a state of severe deterioration. The oxygen-consuming, decaying wood and the marine encrustation that forms over the lead apparently creates the anaerobic conditions conducive for the metabolism of the sulfate-reducing bacteria; in addition, the decaying wood provides nourishment for the bacteria.

Lead alloys, such as old pewter, which is an alloy of tin and lead, oxidize to the same compounds as the two parent metals. The condition of different pewter pieces varies widely both between and within archaeological sites, primarily because of different local conditions and varying percentages of tin to lead in each individual object. In general, leaded pewter always survives in better condition in marine environments than does lead-free pewter; this is most likely due to the formation of lead sulfate (PbSO4) that protects the surface of the artifact. Lead-free pewter suffers extensive corrosive attack in aerobic sea water and is often completely mineralized as stannic oxide (SnO2) and lead sulfide (PbS), and various very brittle, mineralized antimony and tin (SbSn) compounds are formed. In contrast, in anaerobic environments, both leaded and lead-free pewter survive in good condition through the protective formation of lead and tin sulfide films (North and MacLeod 1989:90-91). In fact, the only corrosion present on pewter recovered from anaerobic marine environments may be a thin sulfide film on the surface of well-preserved metal.

Various combinations of lead carbonate, lead oxide, lead sulfide, lead chloride, and tin oxide are possible. Pewter objects often have wart-like blisters on the surface of the metal, which possibly result from localized contaminations of salts (Plenderleith and Werner 1971:278). These should not be removed, for under most of them there are either holes or pits in the metal. CONSERVATION OF LEAD, TIN, AND PEWTER Once recovered from the sea, the corrosion products of objects of lead, tin and their alloy, pewter, are stable. The corrosion products may be unsightly or even disfiguring, but they do not take part in chemical reactions that attack the remaining metal. The objects should be cleaned only for aesthetic reasons and to reveal surface details under the corrosion layers. Old pewter, an alloy of lead and tin, must be treated as tin, which is the more anodic and chemically sensitive metal. Therefore, no acids, or sodium hydroxide should be used, unless, in the case of electrolysis, the metal is given cathodic protection.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF LEAD Because of the ease of treatment and the availability of the chemicals, the most widely used conservation treatment for lead from any archaeological environment is the acid treatment described by Caley (1955). The lead is immersed in 10 percent hydrochloric acid, which will remove any adhering marine encrustation, along with lead carbonates, lead monoxide, lead sulfide, calcium carbonate, and ferric oxide. This treatment is good for lightly corroded specimens, and it gives lead surfaces a pleasing appearance. The surface detail that is preserved by this treatment varies with the degree of corrosion when recovered. For more diagnostic lead artifacts, Caley's method has been superseded by electrolytic reduction, which has the ability to convert mineral products back to a metallic state. For the general cleaning of lead without a lot of hands-on labor, however, Caley's method remains an acceptable and much-used technique, provided that the object is thoroughly rinsed after treatment in order to remove all remaining hydrochloric acid residue. This will prevent contamination of any chloride-sensitive material with which the treated lead may be stored.

If lead dioxide is present, it can be removed by soaking the object in 10 percent ammonium acetate. The ammonium acetate will also act as a buffer to protect the lead from the action of any hydrochloric acid that may remain. If treated with ammonium acetate, lead should be left in the solution only as long as necessary, as the solution can etch the metal. For most lead objects, however, the ammonium acetate step is not required. If the objective is to completely remove all of the lead corrosion products from a lead object, a 5 percent solution of ethylenediaminetetraacacetic acid (EDTA) disodium salt is most effective. After complete immersion in the EDTA solution for two to three hours (up to 24 hours for large objects), the object is rinsed in tap water. After treating lead by Caley's method, the conservator still has the option to use electrolytic reduction to reduce any corrosion layer that are still in place back to a metallic state. GALVANIC CLEANING OF LEAD Any solid object of tin can be cleaned galvanically or by electrolytic reduction in the same way as described for iron and the other metals.

Normally, in galvanic cleaning, the vat with the electrolyte, anodic metal, and specimen is heated to speed the reaction; however, since tin is an allotropic metal that is slightly soluble in sodium hydroxide, heating should be avoided and the treatment time kept to a minimum. Tin coins respond well to cold electrochemical reduction, using zinc, aluminum, or magnesium powder in caustic soda (Plenderleith and Werner 1971:275). Magnesium is often substituted for zinc, since zinc sometimes discolors the tin (Plenderleith and Organ 1953). However, if electrolytic reduction equipment is available, there is little reason to use galvanic cleaning for any object of lead, tin, or their alloys. The only conservation alternative for badly oxidized tin objects is to consolidate them in microcrystalline wax or embed them in a plastic material. Slow, extended diffusion of chlorides in an alkaline solution is not an option due to the solvent action of the solution on tin objects.

ELECTROLYTIC REDUCTION CLEANING The ability to control the speed of the electrolytic reaction through current controls makes electrolytic reduction especially useful for lead coins and medals or, indeed, any specimen where surface detail is important or reduction and/or consolidation of the corrosive layers is the objective. Two electrolytic reduction techniques, normal reduction (Plenderleith and Werner 1971:267-268) and consolidative reduction (Organ 1963a:131; Plenderleith and Werner 1971:268-270), are used for treating lead. Normal Reduction Lead artifacts with substantial metal remaining can be cleaned by the normal electrolytic reduction process using 5 percent sodium hydroxide, anodes of mild steel or stainless steel, and a current density of 2-5 amps/dm2. Very satisfactory results are achieved by this technique. However, since lead is susceptible to solvent action by the electrolyte, when it is not cathodically protected, the current must be flowing before putting the specimen in the electrolytic tank and must not be cut off while the specimen is immersed in the tank.

A good electrical contact, as indicated by evolution of hydrogen from the object, must be made with the lead, and the contact should be sufficiently supported to ensure that the electrical contact is maintained. Since lead, tin, and pewter are susceptible to attack by strong alkalies, a sodium carbonate electrolyte is safer for use in electrolysis than a sodium hydroxide electrolyte. If the electricity were to go off during electrolysis while the lead or tin object or alloy was immersed in NaOH, the object would be attacked by the alkaline solution. If sodium carbonate was being used as the electrolyte, however, a passivating film of carbonate would form on the object, and the alkaline attack would stop. The attack on tin and tin alloys by sodium hydroxide solution is particularly aggressive. Since sodium carbonate does a reasonably good job on artifacts made of these metals, the use of sodium hydroxide electrolytes should be reserved for consolidative reduction on special artifacts where there is some reason to attempt to achieve the absolute maximum reduction of corrosion products back to metal. For example, when there are inscriptions or marks that are preserved in the corrosion layer of an object, sodium hydroxide should be used as the electrolyte.

Consolidative Reduction This technique was developed by Organ (1963a:131) to consolidate the inscriptions contained in a fragile corrosion layer of basic lead carbonate on a group of lead seals. The removal of the corrosion layer would have obliterated the inscription. Consolidative reduction converts the basic lead carbonate and other lead corrosion products to a compact mass of lead. The object is tightly compressed between two polyurethane foam pads in order to support and put pressure on the corrosion layers while they are cathodically reduced at a current density of 100 to 200 milliamps/dm2. In consolidative reduction, which employs very low current densities, mild steel anodes cannot be used because the current flow is so low that there is no way to keep the anodes passivated against anodic dissolution; therefore, stainless steel anodes and a 5 percent sodium hydroxide electrolyte are recommended.

The procedure described by Plenderleith and Werner (1971:268-269), who use a 10 percent solution of sulfuric acid with a lead anode, is not common because of the difficulties of handling sulfuric acid and the deposition of lead from the anodes onto the artifacts being treated. In addition, more recent research has shown that the most thorough reduction is achieved when NaOH is used as the electrolyte. Plenderleith and Werner (1971:269) suggest using a partially rectified alternating current source, which provides a 'bumping' effect, for better results. As discussed in the section on silver , however, the use of an asymmetrical alternate current is not widely used since low current density electrolysis using straight direct current effectively reduces lead corrosion products back to metallic lead, especially when sodium hydroxide is used as the electrolyte. The use of an asymmetrical alternate current does not appear to increase the degree of reduction (Lane 1975; 1979).

The most important thing for the conservator to keep in mind during any electrolytic cleaning process is the importance of maintaining a constant flow of electrons to the lead or tin metal that is being treated to ensure cathodic protection. Rinsing Procedure Following Electrolytic Reduction Sodium hydroxide electrolyte residues cannot be removed completely from lead through simple water rinsing; a more complex procedure must by followed (Plenderleith and Werner 1971:269-270). The object should be submerged in a dilute solution of sulfuric acid (4 drops of concentrated (15-18%) H2SO4 per liter of tap water) with a pH of 3 to 3.5 neutralizes the alkalinity of the electrolyte and forms a protective coat of lead sulfate on the surface of the object. The artifact is then taken through a succession of H2SO4 baths until the pH ceases to rise due to the diffusion of alkali from the lead. After removal from the sulfuric acid bath, the residual acidity present on the surface of the lead is removed through immersion of the object in successive baths of cold distilled water with a pH of about 6, until the pH of the water does not drop.

SEALANT Following the rinsing, the reduced object is dried with hot air or dehydrated in a water-miscible solvent. The fragile reduced metal is then strengthened and protected from atmospheric corrosion by submersion in molten microcrystalline wax. STORAGE Lead is particularly susceptible to organic acids, such as acetic acid, humic acid, and tannic acid. Lead artifacts, therefore, should not be stored in oak cabinets or drawers. If so, even small concentrations of vapors of these acids can initiate corrosion, which progresses rapidly. To be safe, lead should by stored in sealed containers or polyethylene bags. Last updated: mixing in Tin with pure lead Cast Bullet Talk mixing in Tin with pure lead <a href="" ><img src="" border="0" alt=""></a> If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. SPAMMERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED IF you are joining just to spam this forum you may as well leave right now.

You WILL BE EXPOSED AND BANNED ! YOUR PROFILE WIPED CLEAR OF DETAIL. THERE IS NO POINT IN WASTING YOUR TIME! Results 1 to 8 of 8 2 mixing in Tin with pure lead Got a couple hundred lbs of pure lead ingots that I smelted back in the 60's from plumbing pipes. Back then I cast 58 cal minie balls and 44 round balls. Now I'm back to loading 38/357 SWC and WC. My Q now is how much tin would I need to add to, say 10 lb of my pure lead, to bring it up to the composition of wheel weights.? Should I spend the approx 12 bucks/lb for the pure tin in bar form, or the equally expensive lead free solder.? Appreciate any comment - Thanks in advance. to get the same bhn of ww's 20 lbs lead to one lb tin. however 16-1 can be used, and is what elmer used in his magnum loads. but if your loads are fairly sedate 30-1 is a good softer alloy, which works extremely well.

this is the favored alloy with hollowpoints and usually a gas check. remington and win in past years used 40-1 for 45 colt,the 38 special round nose,and even the 44-40. for target work in a good gun with the correct thoat to bbl dimensions i'd start cheap at 40-1 try about 30 or so and go from there. you can always add tin to your trial batch. Posts 1,781 Not much to add to that except to say that WW's are much too hard for 99% of handgun loads, including hunting loads, unless you're loading for a rifle round in a Contender or Encore. 1% tin at most is all you really need, and that only to insure good fillout of your bullets. (My usual handgun alloy is 1 part WW's to 4 parts pure lead. This is plenty hard enough for full power gas checked magnum loads.

For plinking loads, 1:5 or even 1:6 works fine in my pistols and revolvers.) Since it's getting to be yard sale and flea market time of the year, one of the best sources of cheap tin is old pewter cups, bowls, mugs, plates, etc. They can often be had for next to nothing. Pewter is often 80% tin or more. If you or someone you know is into "saturday morning cruising", ask them to keep an eye open and grab some when the price is right. "Stand your ground. Posts 2 So what I'm hearing is (on an average), 30 lb pure to 1 lb tin would give me a hard enough plinking/target round. Also using 5 lb of pure lead mixed with 1 lb of wheel weight lead would also be a good choice. Gonna try both - starting with the second, since most all my ww and pure are in 1 lb ingots. Hate to spend the $ on tin alloy, since what I have in my ww lead does fill the mold nicely. Any opinions, pros/cons on heat treating (oven) and water quenching to harden.?

Thanks for the quik comeback guys - appreciate the advice Posts 1,781 A lot of casters are into hardening their bullets. Why? I don't know. It makes absolutely no sense to me to waste the time and effort on handgun bullets. As for rifle hunting bullets, ditto. Sometimes certain auto pistols have feeding issues with soft bullets, certain types of rifling require harder alloys, and rifle target bullets can be as hard as you want, so in those three cases hardening can be useful if you understand how it works and what its limitations are. Water dropping hardens the surface of a bullet, but when you work the lead by running it through a sizing die, the driving bands soften up, and that is the part you would want harder for more velocity without leading. So as far as I'm concerned, unless your mould drops them at exactly the right size so they don't need to be run through the sizer, heat treating is as useless as chrome wheels on a watermelon. A soft nose with hard driving bands would be great, but the opposite is of no benefit.

Heat treating does make sense, but only if it is done after sizing (and you must have some antimony in the mix - a lead/tin alloy won't harden when heated) and then lubed. LLA is the only lube I know of that can be applied before heat treating and will stay on the bullets. With either hardening technique, over time the bullets will return to their as cast hardness, which depends upon their specific alloy. For rifle hunting bullets .35cal and under, I want the bullet soft enough to get some expansion and help out the meplat (flat nose) to transfer all the energy to the quarry possible while still just hard enough to push it to a reasonable velocity. Air cooled wheel weights ACWW is just about the perfect balance. For larger caliber bullets expansion isn't as important and they can be cast of a somewhat harder alloy without any problem. When I want to cast rifle target bullets I mix pure lead with linotype in varying proportions to get a bullet of the hardness I need without having to water drop or heat treat them, and they retain their hardness over time so they can be stored for years.

Lino bullets can be pushed to impressive velocities, but they are much lighter than bullets with a larger percentage of lead in them, and they are very brittle so they shatter when they hit anything solid (like bone). I don't do a lot of target shooting generally, though I shoot at a lot of targets testing loads for various hunting bullets in many of my rifles, but I have been playing with target loads in my Garand and M1A, so my precious stash of lino is dwindling. "Stand your ground. Posts 1,781 There's definitely more than one way to skin a cat. The simpler I can keep things, the happier I am, generally, but I am always into hearing how other casters do their thing, too. I will try out any good idea to see if it will work for me. Even if it doesn't, I still learn something so it's never a waste of time. I figure if at some point down the line I can answer a question about it and save someone else time or help them come up with a new and interesting idea of their own, then I'm ahead of the game.

Like when BruceB on Cast Boolits figured out how to cast a lino bullet with a soft lead nose. (They take about 15min per bullet to make, but they work quite well.) I have a feeling that my experiments with 6.5mm cast bullets will eventually require regular use of the technique. I ran out of WW ingots about a month ago and I have 15 5gal buckets full waiting to smelt, and about 700lbs of old lead pipe. I think my next project is going to be a WW smelter that I can use on windy and/or rainy days. My current turkey fryer setup works great on a calm sunny day, but when I have time, the weather seldom cooperates. I am looking for an old water tank about the size of a 100lb propane tank that I can mount the gas ring from the fryer inside. One handy door a little larger than my cast iron dutch oven and some stovepipe to vent the stench and I can set it up outside or even in my garage in the winter. It would sure make things easier. Anybody seen or heard of a similar setup? "Stand your ground.

Posts 657 i have a two part sheet metal wind screen that goes from ground to about a foot over my cooker. i use a two burner set-up and run two pots at a time. but the idea is similar to yours. it is rectangular in shape and wraps around the whole back, the front is lower and comes up to the bottom of the pots. i have an L shaped top that goes over it. and is easily removed to add more scrap. when melted i remove the top and pour. a simple round two piece with a separate top high enough to work under would work for what you want. a cone shaped top would be very efficient as the chimney also. and a top could either be left in both places, or be built to be held by brackets. but adding a shroud definately helps the efficiency. Cast Metal From Solder At Your Kitchen Table - YouTube Cast Metal From Solder At Your Kitchen Table Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Jul 8, 2011 Lead-free solders are the same a pewter metals, mainly tin with a little bit of other metal such as copper, silver, or antimony. Using a soldering iron it's very cheap to cast objects from solder. Molding made from modeling clay and plaster of Paris. This demo shows the upper limit in terms of size, but you can solder together several objects to create a larger piece. Embed things into your clay model, and they'll end up embedded in the solder. Try to embed things with corners or wide bottoms pressed deep into the clay, think in terms of stuff that can't easily fall out of the finished metal piece. You can embed wire, glass, and any stone that can handle being rapidly heated to 400 degrees F and back. The plaster, as long as the water is dried out of it, can handle the temperatures without cracking.

Category Pewter & Lead Safety | eHow Pewter & Lead Safety pewter sugar bowl image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com Many people have concerns about using pewter in their daily lives, whether it is for tableware, such as old-fashioned pewter plates, mugs or drinking steins, or for personal adornment in the form of jewelry. Such concerns are often unfounded, as the only danger in pewter lies in its lead content, and all quality pewter made after the late 1700s in America and Britain is lead-free. When dealing with antique pewter or pewter of unknown origin, however, you should take a few minor safety precautions. Composition Antique pewter is a metal alloy composed of tin and lead. The tin lends the metal its silvery color while the lead gives it additional strength. The alloy is primarily tin, at about a 90 percent concentration or higher. Modern pewter is still a tin-based alloy, but instead of potentially toxic lead, the tin is mixed with copper and antimony. These two metals strengthen the tin without lending the additional weight and potential toxicity of lead. Modern pewter is also known by the names Britannia pewter, Britannia metal and sometimes simply white metal.

Tin still comprises approximately 92 percent of modern pewter, with 7.5 percent antimony and 0.5 percent copper as the standard alloy. Toxicity Lead is a common element in the world; most people come into contact with it daily without danger. Only when lead is ingested does it cause damage. When dealing with pewter that contains lead, this ingestion commonly occurs through eating or drinking food from pewter vessels. Lead can leach into food from the pewter container, particularly with more acidic foods, leading to heightened lead content in the food. Lead may also be inhaled when cutting through old pewter items that contain lead, as the action of the saw can send lead-containing dust into the air, which is then drawn into the lungs. Inhaling lead fumes while melting antique pewter can also lead to lead toxicity. Considerations Heating food in pewter dishes that contain lead can cause more lead to leach into food than would occur at cold temperatures. More acidic foods, such as those containing tomatoes, vinegar and citrus, also cause higher amounts of lead to leach from the pewter into the food. Symptoms Lead poisoning affects adults and children in different ways.

Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults can begin with seemingly innocent changes such as lethargic behavior, extreme irritability and difficulty remembering things, according to Ohio State University. At more concentrated levels, lead affects the hemoglobin significantly and can cause seizures, kidney failure and death. Pediatric (childhood) lead toxicity also affects the hemoglobin, but because children's systems are still developing it can lead to slowed mental and physical growth, anemia and damage to hearing, notes the Mayo Clinic. Risk Even with pewter that contains lead, risk of lead poisoning from ingestion is fairly low in adults, since only 5 to 10 percent of the lead that enters the body through the digestive tract will pass into the bloodstream. Therefore, a single exposure is highly unlikely to cause lead poisoning, which most often occurs in adults who work with lead directly and receive repeated exposure to its dust and fumes. Children are at higher risk for lead poisoning than adults, from pewter or any other source, because their bodies are still developing and their relatively high metabolisms process toxins in the blood more quickly. Children may put pewter jewelry into their mouths if left unattended, gaining lead exposure directly from the metal if it is an alloy that contains lead.

Advice If you are unsure whether any pewter element in your home contains lead, do not put it into contact with food and keep it out of reach of children. Do not attempt to cut, melt or otherwise physically alter the object. When used simply for ornamental purposes, all types of pewter are safe.

Question: What would you add to lead to make pewter?
Answer: Tin